Staff Resources
Explore tools, trainings, and supports designed to help school staff promote mental health for themselves and others.
This section offers resources designed specifically for teachers, counselors, administrators, paraprofessionals, and school support staff. Whether you're looking to care for your own wellness, respond to a student in crisis, or strengthen your knowledge through professional learning, the tools below are here to help. You'll find crisis lines, staff wellness resources, suicide prevention materials, training opportunities, school-ready templates, and local supports to guide your work and promote a healthier school community.
Crisis Lines
988 Suicide Crisis Lifeline
988 is the three-digit number that connects people in distress to the nationwide network of trained crisis counselors at the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The service is free, confidential, and available 24/7 across the United States.
If you or a loved one are experiencing a mental health, substance use, or suicidal crisis, confidential support is available 24/7.
A3 Crisis Response
Mobile crisis response teams that provide on-site care anywhere in the county.
A3 offers in-person youth crisis assessment and stabilization across all Contra Costa regions, critical for responding swiftly at school sites
Contra Costa Crisis Center
24/7 crisis support and grief counseling - available to staff, students, and families.
Offers phone, chat, and grief counseling services along with school outreach support. A vital referral partner in emergencies, resource navigation, and mental health education.
The Trevor Project Lifeline:
24/7 crisis support for LGBTQ+ youth under 25.
Call 1-866-488-7386 or text 'START' to 678678 to connect with counselors trained to support LGBTQ+ identities.
Community & County Supports
A3 Crisis Response
Mobile crisis response teams that provide on-site care anywhere in the county.
A3 offers in-person youth crisis assessment and stabilization across all Contra Costa regions, critical for responding swiftly at school sites.
Contra Costa Crisis Center
24/7 crisis support and grief counseling - available to staff, students, and families.
Offers phone, chat, and grief counseling services along with school outreach support. A vital referral partner in emergencies, resource navigation, and mental health education.
Contra Costa Behavioral Health Services
Comprehensive mental health care access for youth, families, and school staff - especially Medi-Cal and uninsured populations.
Offers care coordination, local mental health clinics, and school-based partnerships to support behavioral wellness and service access.
John Muir Behavioral Health Center
Crisis psychiatric evaluations, inpatient, and outpatient youth behavioral health care.
Supports schools with behavioral health referrals, school consultations, and hospital-level services when needed for students or family emergencies.
NAMI Contra Costa
Local mental health education, peer-led support groups, and family programs.
NAMI CC offers free support groups, caregiver education, peer-to-peer programs, and community outreach to connect school staff, families, and caregivers with knowledge and emotional support.
Mental Health School-Based Toolkits
Medi-Cal Reimbursement Tools
Medi-Cal Reimbursement for Local Educational Agencies
Local Educational Agencies can receive Medi-Cal reimbursement for health services provided to eligible students. This program supports schools in offering vital physical, mental, and behavioral health services by offsetting costs through Medi-Cal funding.
The Local Educational Agency Medi-Cal Billing Option Program Provider Manual can provide information about the reimbursement process, eligible services, and how schools can participate in this program.
Practical Guide for Financing Social, Emotional, and Mental Health in Schools
The Practical Guide for Financing Social, Emotional, and Mental Health in Schools Guide provides an in-depth overview of how schools can effectively leverage Medi-Cal to fund health services for students. It includes step-by-step guidance on navigating Medi-Cal billing, understanding eligible services, and optimizing reimbursement processes to enhance support for student well-being.
School-Based Health Services Funding
The California School-Based Health Alliance funding page provides comprehensive guidance on funding opportunities to support health services in schools. Their resources help schools identify and secure funding streams, including Medi-Cal reimbursement, grants, and partnerships to sustain and expand critical health programs for students. Explore this resource to learn how to maximize funding for school-based physical, mental, and behavioral health services.
Mental Health Screening
SAMHSA - Ready, Set, Go, Review: Screening for Behavioral Health Risk in Schools
The Ready, Set, Go Review: Screening for Behavioral Health Risk in Schools toolkit is designed to guide schools through the process of developing comprehensive screening procedures, as well as provide readily available resources to facilitate the implementation of effective behavioral health screening in schools.
Defending Childhood State Policy Initiative: Guidance for Trauma Screening in Schools
The Trauma Screening in Schools guide provides an overview of the prevalence and impact of trauma among children and adolescents, the role of screening and assessment in the identification of trauma, school-based screening considerations, and how to link screening data with potential interventions within schools.
The National Center for Mental Health: School Mental Health Quality Guide
The National Center for Mental Health: School Mental Health Quality Guide provides guidance to help school mental health systems advance the quality of their services and supports. This guide contains background information on school mental health screening, best practices, possible action steps, examples from the field, and resources.
School Based Health Center Tools
The California School-Based Health Alliance offers a full range of age-appropriate health care services, typically including: primary medical care, mental/behavioral health care, dental care, health education, substance abuse counseling, case management and nutrition education.
Trauma-Informed Practices Tools
Trauma-Sensitive Schools Training Implementation Guide
The Trauma-Sensitive Schools Training Package will help you develop a shared understanding among staff about the impact of trauma and adversity of students and staff.
Educator-Self Care for Extraordinary Times: A Trauma-Sensitive Guide for Educator Wellness
The Educator Self-Care for Extraordinary Times: A Trauma Sensitive Guide for Educator Wellness is dedicated to educator wellness, you will learn how to first identify the most crucial areas for you to address in your own wellness. This toolkit will equip you with trauma-sensitive tools that provide targeted support, as well as strategies, that will help you advocate for additional needs.
Professional Learning & Trainings
This section provides free, high-impact training and professional learning opportunities designed to help school staff strengthen mental health knowledge, build skills for supporting students and colleagues, and foster trauma-responsive, supportive school environments.
Safe Spaces: Foundations of Trauma Informed Practices
A Free, online trauma-informed training
Developed through California's Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative and supported by the Office of the California Surgeon General. This training supports individual staff capacity as well as whole-school trauma-responsive practices.
-Focuses on understanding trauma, stress responses, and strategies to support students experiencing traumatic stress in school settings.
-Available in multiple modules by age group (0-5, 5-11, 12-18)
Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMFHA)
A no-cost, evidence-based professional development curriculum funded through state and federal grants that teaches adults who work with youth how to:
- Recognize signs of developing mental health or substance challenges
-Offer initial support to students in distress
-Connect youth to appropriate care and resources
This training is ideally suited for educators, administrators, school support staff, coaches, and community partners.
WISP Training Recordings Library
Staff Wellness
Prioritizing staff wellness to build stronger, healthier, and more sustainable school communities.
Teacher Feedback: Listening is Wellness
Educator voice isn't just about professional input, it's essential to emotional well-being. When teachers and staff feel heard, respected, and included in decision-making, it reduced burnout, builds trust, and creates a culture of psychological safety. Collecting feedback regularly also helps leadership spot signs of stress or school climate issues early.
Ideas & Tools
- Use short anonymous wellness check-ins or pulse surveys.
- Host open listening circles or focus groups.
- Ensure staff feedback is met with follow-up and transparency.
Resources
Self-Care: Not a Luxury, a Necessity
Educators often put others first, but self-care is essential to maintaining emotional balance, preventing burnout, and modeling well-being for students. Self-care doesn't have to be time-consuming or expensive. It can be small, intentional actions woven into the day.
Ideas & Tools
- Offer mindfulness or yoga breaks.
- Dedicate quiet rooms or staff-only recharge zones.
- Build self-care tips into weekly staff emails or meetings.
Resources
Community Care: Wellness is a Team Effort
Community care means supporting each other, not just as colleagues, but as people. A culture of mutual care helps reduce isolation, builds trust, and strengthens a school's emotional foundation. When staff feel like they belong and are supported by one another, wellness becomes sustainable.
Ideas & Tools
- Staff peer appreciation boards or shot outs.
- Monthly wellness walks, potlucks, or connection events.
- Staff-led support circles or wellness teams.
Resources
Staff Wellness Tools & Ready-to-Use Resources
Sometimes the best way to show support is to give staff practical tools they can use right away. This section provides materials to encourage, organize, and maintain mental wellness in your school environment.
Resources
